Novel
Kwaku
Roy Heath · 1982
Synopsis
Kwaku Cholmondeley, an orphan raised without tenderness by an uncle, becomes a cobbler in his village and believes himself destined for greatness. An arranged marriage with Miss Gwendoline turns into affection, the couple have eight children, but his wife remains sceptical of his plans for greatness. He leaves the village for New Amsterdam and becomes a healer there; success comes, and with it the boasting of an incorrigible talker.
Context
The novel appeared in London in 1982 from Allison and Busby, the house of Margaret Busby, who had been publishing Heath since 1978, with the subtitle the man who could not hold his tongue. It follows the three parts of a Georgetown chronicle published from 1979 to 1981. The critic Mark McWatt notes that these novels, nourished by a meticulous memory of the Guyanese coast, reveal its failures and shortcomings, those of individuals as well as of communities, rather than celebrating it.
Who it is for
A novel in English, not translated into French, accessible without any particular knowledge of Guyana.
Prizes and reception
No distinction is attested for this novel; it appeared at the time when its author, a Guardian prizewinner, was at his most prominent.